Generation of steam power



Nov. 9, 1926.

H. 5. YARROW GENERATION 0F STEAM POWER Filed June 4, 1923 El l Patented Nov. 9, 1926.

Madri-i5 HAROLD EDGAR YARROW', GF GLASGOW", SCOTLAND.

GENERATION OF STEAM POVER.

Application led June 4, 1923, Serial No. 643,463, and in Great Britain February 26, i923.

This invention relates to the generation of steam power for driving auxiliary engines in ships which are propelled by means of internal combustion engines, and consists essentially in the utilization of the exhaust gases from the internal combustion propelling engines to pre-heat the air required for sustaining combustion of the fuel in the auxiliary steam generator or generators, with which may be associated a superheater or superheaters to superheat the steam generated therein.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing as applied to pre-heating the air for sustaining combustion of the fuel in the furnace of a water tube boiler of the `Yarrow type, the boiler being shown in transverse section, and the internal combustion engine having its exhaust discharging into the air preheater of the boiler furnace being `shown diagrammatically in elevation.

In this drawing A represents the steam drum, B, B the water drums and C, C the generating tubes connecting the steam and Water drums of a Yarrow type boiler which, as shown, is fired by means of oil burners indicated at D, D but which may alternatively be fired by the combustion of solid fuel on a travelling or fixed grate.

On either side of the steam drum A is an air heater, E and F respectively, the surfaces of the tubes of which are traversed, as indicated by the arrows, in parallel streams by air entering at inlet L and passing to the combustion space M. rlhe hot gases from the furnace, after traversing the exterior of the generating tubes C, C pass upwardly through tubes of the re-heaters E and F to the outlet ends G thereof and thence to the uptake or funnel, and the air heater tubes or some of them are also traversed internally by the exhaust gases from the internal coinbustion propelling engine J".

is shown in the drawing, the air preheater E on the side of the boiler next to the engine is of greater capacity than the other air heater F and has some of its tubes K external to the boiler casing. The exhaust gases from the propelling .engine J0 enter the lower ends of these external tubes from the .exhaust gas pipe J and pass up therethrough to the outlet ends H thereof, which are separated from the outlet .ends of the other or internal tubes of the heater E by a partition H', and thence to the funnel.

One or more battles such as L may be provided to constrain the air .entering at L to take a circuitous course amongst the tubes of the air heaters E, F so that it abstracts more or less heat from any desired section of the air heaters on its passage to the combustion space M.

Having thus described the nature of the .said invention and the best means I lrnow of carrying the same into practical eect, I

claim l. In power plant installations comprising an internal combustion engine and an auxiliary steam power plant, an air preheater for the steam generatorhaving tubes within the boiler casing adapted to be traversed by the waste gases from the boiler furnace, and tubes having their inlet ends external to the boiler casing and connected with the exhaust passage of the internal combustion engine.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim l, wherein the air preheater is subdivided into two parts disposed respectively at the two ,sides of the boiler casing, one part being traversed solely by waste gases from the boiler furnace, and the other part being traversed by waste gases from the boiler furnace and also by exhaust gases from the internal combustion engine.

3. In a power plant installation comprising an internal combustion engine and an auxiliary steam power plant, a water tube boiler comprising an upper steam and water drum a plurality of lower water drums, means connecting said upper steam and water drum with said lower water drums, a part of said connecting means being located upon either side of the boiler furnace means for heating said connecting means having a combustion space between the two parts of the latter, an air preheater divided intotwo parts, vone part disposed within the boiler "casing at one side of the steam and water drum above part of said connecting means and traversed by gases of combustion from said combustion space, and the other part disposed at the other side ofthe steam and Water drum and having a portion Within the boiler casing and traversed Vby the gases of combustion 'from said combustion space and a portion external to the boiler casing traversed by the exhaust gases from said internal combustion engine, and means for admitting air past said preheater to said comhustion space in the opposite direction to the movement through the preheater of said gases of combustion.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

HAROLD EDGAR H'QRROW. 

